Autodesk Reaches 150 Million Students And Educators Worldwide

• Autodesk celebrates its largest education milestone to date, reaching 150 million students and educators globally.
• For more than two decades, Autodesk has been committed to democratising access to its Design and Make technology.
• As the global skills gap widens, Autodesk’s education offerings are helping millions gain the tools, experience, and confidence to thrive in an AI-driven world.

Today, Autodesk announced it has provided its software and technology for free to more than 150 million students and educators around the world, helping prepare the next generation of designers, builders, and makers for the future of work.

For more than a decade, Autodesk has made its professional-grade tools available at no cost to accredited institutions and verified students and educators — giving students the same technology used by architects, engineers, manufacturers, and creators worldwide to design and make anything.

Bridging the skills gap in an AI-powered future

As the global workforce changes faster than educators can keep up, access to the latest technology for students is critical. Autodesk’s State of Design & Make report found that 61 per cent of professionals cite a lack of skilled talent as a barrier to growth, while attracting, training, and retaining talent is the second most cited challenge in Australia. Meanwhile, AI is continuing to surface in today’s jobs, with demand for AI skills in job listings surging by more than 640 per cent since 2022, according to Autodesk’s recent AI Jobs Report.

Students feel the urgency, too. Nearly half of college students don’t believe they’re learning the AI skills they’ll need to succeed after graduation.*

Autodesk connects students across secondary, trade schools, community colleges, and universities to the technology, real-world projects, and career opportunities that will help them learn the skills they need to succeed across Design and Make industries after graduation.

“With technology advancing faster than education can keep pace, it’s crucial that industry leaders like Autodesk help equip STEM students and educators with the right tools at every stage of learning,” said Mary Hope McQuiston, Vice President of Education at Autodesk. “It often starts with Tinkercad, where students first learn to imagine and create, and continues with professional-grade tools that prepare them for real careers. Reaching 150 million students and educators, and now expanding access to Flow Studio, shows what’s possible when learners can design, make, and tell their story with the same technology the pros use.”

Where Design and Make begins: Tinkercad’s lasting impact

As part of this milestone, Autodesk has reached 100M Tinkercad users to date. Autodesk’s free, browser-based 3D design tool introduces millions of young learners to creative problem-solving and STEM. For many, it’s the first step toward mastering professional tools like Fusion and Forma — connecting imagination in the classroom to innovation in the real world.

Expanding access to professional VFX and animation for the next generation of creators with Autodesk Flow Studio

As part of our ongoing work to provide free, professional-grade software to students and educators, we’re expanding that access to include Autodesk Flow Studio (formerly Wonder Studio). This means all verified students ages 18 and older and educators can now use Flow Studio at no cost. The goal is straightforward: make AI-powered 3D tools for visual effects (VFX) and animation accessible to those learning film, digital content creation, marketing/advertising, or game design.

Flow Studio supercharges creativity by automating complex VFX tasks like motion capture, camera tracking, and character animation — allowing students to stay focused on the story and performance. With a single video clip and a few clicks, learners can insert CG characters into live-action or animated scenes and render them out. It brings 3D animation and VFX once reserved for Hollywood, within reach for anyone developing their storytelling craft.

Empowering the next generation of Design and Make leaders

From classrooms and makerspaces to studios and stages, Autodesk’s education ecosystem supports students at every level — combining technology access, certifications, and career pathways. Through partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and industry leaders, Autodesk continues to help students develop the skills that define the future of Design and Make.

As industries evolve and new technologies like AI transform the way we work and create, Autodesk’s commitment remains the same: to equip every student — whether architect, engineer, or artist — with the power to design and make anything.

*Autodesk’s Career Readiness Report was conducted by third-party analytics firm GlobalData: GlobalData surveyed 1,500 students ages 14 to 23 across high school, university, community college, and vocational/trade school.

About Autodesk

The world’s designers, engineers, builders, and creators trust Autodesk to help them design and make anything. From the buildings we live and work in, to the cars we drive and the bridges we drive over. From the products we use and rely on, to the movies and games that inspire us. Autodesk’s Design and Make Platform unlocks the power of data to accelerate insights and automate processes, empowering our customers with the technology to create the world around us and deliver better outcomes for their business and the planet. For more information, visit autodesk.com.au or follow @autodesk. #MakeAnything

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